Navadwip Mandala Parikrama Day 3 (10/3/11)

Today is the 3rd day of the Navadvip Mandala Parikrama. Our first group to be visited today was the International party in Naimisharanya. When we were about to go out from the Lotus Building through the exit of Caitanya exhibition Hall,we heard the beautiful greeting kirtan for Their Lordship Sri Panca Tattva'Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu doya kore moreeee....' was going on in the temple hall. Guru Maharaja told us to wheel him down towards the temple hall for taking darshan of the deities. We left Iskcon Mayapur at 7.30am and drove towards Naimisharanya. While driving down we were told by the manager of the party that Naimisharanya cannot be accessed by car and we should meet them at Pushkar Tirtha. So we changed our plan and drove to Pushkar Tirtha which is just a kilometre by walk before Naimisharanya. We reached Pushkar Tirtha but the International party was yet to reach.

Guru Maharaja asked us to give a try to meet them at Naimisharanya. We took a different route which is just enough for a car to pass through and we made it. Upon reaching there, we saw the party was about to leave to Pushkar Tirtha. Yet, His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaj welcomed Guru Maharaja and requested everyone to sit back and listen to the speech. Guru Maharaja delivered a short speech. Before the party departed, His Holiness Lokanath Maharaj took over the mic and said that Lord Siva visited Naimisharanya to hear the Gaura Bhagavata Katha being spoken there. While riding on his Nandi on his way here, he was getting frustrated because Nandi was moving slowly. He then borrowed Brahmaji's swan (Hamsa vahana) and cruised to Naimisharanya to reach on time just to listen to Gaura katha. Maharaj continued that Jayapataka Maharaj, though he is having this slow moving body but using this new vahana (pointing at Guru Maharaja's car) he made it on time to Naimisharanya to share the nectarian pastimes of this holy spot. The crowd chanted out loudly Hari Bol!!!! Hari Bol!!!!

Our next group to be visited was Hindi party who were in Pratap Nagar which is about 20 minutes drive from Naimisharanya. Guru Maharaja had his breakfast on the way. When we reached Pratap Nagar, the devotees were having their breakfast. Guru Maharaja waited for them to finish their breakfast and then at 10.35am he started his class. He spoke for 40 minutes. His Holiness Radha Raman Maharaj thanked Guru Maharaja for making His presence in Hindi Party despite of all His physical difficulties. He further said "Over five hundred years ago Lord Nityananda took Sri Jiva Goswami on tour around Navadvip and revealed the holy dham to him. So today we have total of five thousand devotees doing Navadwip Mandala Parikrama and all these credits goes to His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaj because he has played a very important role in revealing the Navadwip Dham to Iskcon Devotees around the world." Devotees thanked Guru Maharaja with loud hari bol!!!

At 11.35am we left from Pratap Nagar to Campahatti to meet the Russian Party. We reached at 12 noon and we saw the other Swamis were narrating pastimes related to Champahatti. Guru Maharaja used this opportunity to take darshan of Lord Gaura Gadadhara(Gaur Gadai) -In His class He mentioned that Srimati Radharani was very dissatisfied being born in female form which was restricting her from associating with Lord Krsna freely especially during the day time. The gopas do not have such restriction on them. So in order to associate with Krsna like how the gopas do, she desired to take birth as Gadadhara (male form) during Caitanya Lila. Here in Champahatti Gaur and Gadai are always together showering their mercy.

At the end of every class of Guru Maharaja, he describes the greatness of other parikrama parties and in this way he creates trancendental competition among them. He also said that matajis are good at doing uludhwani but we have another dhwani for prabhus, yes!! Haridhwaniiiiiii!!!!... Hari bol!!!!!!! Everyone chanted Hari bol!!!!!!!!! His Holiness Kavicandra Swami was the last speaker at Champahatti. After that a nice drama on the pastimes of Jayadeva Goswami was also performed by the Russian devotees. Guru Maharaja also welcomed another well known disciple of Srila Prabhupada, HG Dina Bandu prabhu who is from Vraja Dham and thanked him for his presence. At 1.40pm we left from Champahatti to Bhaktivedanta Arogya Ashram to meet the Bengali group. Here, the Bengali party just reached and most of the devotees gone for shower and to do their laundry. As soon as Guru Maharaja’s car entered the BAA compound, hundreds of devotees swarmed his car to welcome him. We saw some prabhus coming running with wet gamchas and wet body to welcome Guru Maharaja.This was their enthusiasm!!!!! Guru Maharaja had darshan of the presiding deities and then continued with his lunch. After lunch he went to the prasadam tent to address three thousand bengali devotees who were waiting for their lunch to arrive.Since I am not good at Bengali,I took this chance to conclude the diary for the day. While i was typing this diary using Guru Maharaj's Blackberry the prasadam truck arrived.

Wondering what would be the lunch menu for the Bengali party? OK! Let me check it out for you all and meanwhile get your plates ready. Hmmmm there are hot rice, dhal, three varities of subjis, paneer mix, tomato chutney, rasa gulla, sweet rice, rice chips and mysti dahi(sweet yogurt) Hari Bol!!!!! Guru Maharaja concluded his class and departed to iskcon mayapur at 4pm.